The Darkest Night by Rick Reed

Author:Rick Reed [Reed, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2017-02-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

Evie came out of the shower to find her clothes missing and Ubaid holding open a thick pink robe.

“Wear this, and we’ll do something with that hair,” Ubaid said and smiled.

Evie slipped into the robe and pushed long dark locks of wet hair from her face. She asked Ubaid, “Where are my clothes?” Her clothes weren’t much, and they smelled bad, but they were all she had.

“You have clothes laid out on the bed. But now we are going to do something with your hair.”

Evie cooperated with Ubaid drying her hair, pulling it back from her face and braiding it, but she didn’t want new clothes or to look beautiful. She just wanted to go home. She was mad at herself for getting mixed up in this. She had only wanted to find out about her mother. They had promised to tell her. They had lied.

Something trilled. Ubaid took a cell phone from a pocket. She stepped out of the room, and Evie could hear her talking softly. Ubaid came back in the room and her whole demeanor had changed. Nothing about her was smiling now. When she spoke, she sounded reserved, flat, the smile forced. “Beautiful. Just beautiful. Now we put on some makeup and do something about those clothes.”

Evie turned to Ubaid. “My dad doesn’t let me wear makeup.”

“Just a little to bring out your eyes,” Ubaid said. “You’ve worn makeup before, haven’t you?”

Evie hadn’t. She sat at the small makeup table and allowed Ubaid to apply eye shadow and lip gloss.

Ubaid examined Evie’s reflection in the mirror. She patted the long braid that ran down Evie’s back and smiled. “Now for clothes.”

“Ubaid. Can I ask something?”

Ubaid’s smile faltered. “Yes. But let’s get some clothes on you first.”

Evie let Ubaid help her slip into the beautiful blue gown that was laid out on the bed. She had shaved her legs during her shower and had been unable to resist a dab of the perfume set on a glass shelf beside the vanity. Ubaid led Evie to the floor-length mirror and Evie could hardly believe the reflection was hers. She looked like a grownup woman. Felt like one. The feeling was both thrilling and terrifying.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked Ubaid.

Ubaid said, “I must—” but was interrupted by a soft knock at the door.

* * *

Papa sat on the purple velour seat of the heirloom chair as the girl across from him sat on the side of the bed, feet barely touching the floor, wearing a $2,000 silk evening gown. A pair of expensive high heels, silk and the same color as her dress, lay on the floor where she had kicked them off. Papa knew her as Evelyn Blanchard, but he had given her a new name. A new name for a new life. He was waiting patiently for her to repeat it back to him.

She held her arms across her chest and deliberately didn’t look at him. Even mad she was beautiful.

Papa had one chance, one showing, to get the investors’ attention.

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